Privacy/windbreak screen



Jam 17@ Y E. F. LARKIN ETAL PRIVACY/WINDBREAK SCREEN Filed Oct. l0, 1967INVENTORS F. ARK/N DUBEY BY GUSTV FAEDER W Avro@ Ey:

United States Patent O M' 3,487,842 PRIVACY/WINDBREAK SCREEN Edward F.Larkin, 2328 University Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10468; Leon B. Dubey, 9 AbbottSt., West Babylon, N.Y. 12204; and Gustav Faeder, 116 W. 197th St.,Bronx, N.Y. 10468 Filed Oct. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 674,233 Int. Cl. E04f10/00, 10/02 U.S. Cl. 135-5 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In aportable privacy/ windbreak unit having a retractable screen portion anda horizontal brace bar extending between upright posts, the improvementcomprising constructing the horizontal bar in telescoping sections withmeans for locking the telescoping sections at a desired length.

This invention relates to an improvement in a portableIprivacy/windbreak screen of the type generally having two upstandingposts and a retractable screen which is drawn horizontally from one postand anchored to the other.

Prior screens of the general type referred to above have beenconstructed without a horizontal bracing member or where such a memberis present, it has not been constructed so as to permit variance in thelength of the horizontal member. Consequently, accommodation of anydeviation in the spacing between the upright posts, necessitated byreasons apparent to those skilled in the art, requires a change in theposition of one of the upright posts. Where, as here, the primarypurpose to which the screen is to be put, is outdoors, and where theupright is set into position by placing same in an appropriatereceptacle driven into the ground, a change in the position of theupright is laborious and inconvenient.

With the present invention, the upstanding posts can be set in theirreceptacles and be vertically aligned by arranging the telescopinghorizontal member at the proper length and locking at this position.After which the screen may be extended across the opening formed betweenthe uprights; the locked horizontal member acting as a brace againstlateral movement of the upright.

A principle object of this invention is to provide a privacy/windbreakscreen of extreme lightness and ease of assembly.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for freelyvarying the length of the assembled screen while maintaining sucientrigidity at all lengths.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention. In thisshowing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a screen and screen supportsystem;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are detailed views of the T assemblies.

As is best seen in FIGURE l, the system is assembled as follows:

Uprights 3 and 4 are set in place respectively over ground pegs 1 and 2,Ts are generally designated as 9. Ts 9a and 9b are slipped over upright3, Ts 9c and 9d are slipped over upright 4. The bottom Ts 9b and 9d arefastened rrnly to the uprights by tightening thumbscrews b and 5d.

3,487,842 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 ICC The lower spring roller pin 20attached to roller 8 is set into slot 16b on the top of T 9b. At thispoint, with the lower pin 20 in the slot 1Gb, the screen roller 8 isrotated about 8 to 10 times to exert tension on the roller spring beforethe screen 7 is extended across to upright 4. This tension gives theextended screen a taut appearance and enables it to sustain light windswithout billowing.

With the roller now pre-tensioned, the top end of the roller is set in'place by adjusting T 9a so that its pin hole 16a accommodates upperroller pin 19. Thumbscre'w 5a is then tightened. Next tube 12 is set inthe opening 21 of T 9a, and tube 13 is set in the opening 22 of T 9c.Tubes 12 and 13 are designed to telescope over a `wide range and areheld in place at the desired length by collar clamp 14.

The leading edge of the screen 7, -containing a rigid tube 17, is nowpulled towards upright 4 and fastened by means of pins 10 and 11 intopin holes 16C and 16d on Ts 9c and 9d respectively. If the top edge 23of the screen is not lying perfectly straight and rigid, the collarclamp 14 may be loosened and tubes 12 and 13 adjusted to the properlength.

When the invention is disassembled for moving or storage, it is possibleto leave the screen roller 8 attached to upright 3 in the tensionedstate. This is so because the leading edge tube 17 is chosen to have: adiameter larger than the space remaining between upright 3 and theroller body 8, on which is now wound the screen material. Thisself-locking feature is achieved by placing the pin hole 16a and theslot 16b at a particular distance out on TS 9a and 9b.

The T design makes possible the use of screens of various heights; theupper limit being the height of the uprights. In addition, thethumbscrew feature allows the adjustment up or down of the screen inuse.

As is best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the slot 16b and the pin hole 16 aremachined into bosses 24 on each T 9. The use of such raised areasreduces frictional resistance to the unwinding and rewinding of thescreen. Instead of the metal ends of the roller being in full contactwith the T surfaces, the area of contact is reduced substantially, tothe surface area of the bosses alone. In addition, by building up the Tat the point where the screen roller pin 19 penetrates into T 9a, thepossibility of friction and wear between the roller pin 19 and thetelescoping tube 12 is eliminated.

The same invention could be adapted for indoor use, by the substitutionof stands for the ground pegs and the addition, if necessary, of a lowerstiifner structure of telescoping tubes between T 9b and 9d.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown, otheradaptations may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A portable privacy/windbreak screen Comprising a rst upright po-sthaving a retractable :roller screen associated therewith, said rollerscreen being extendable horizontally and having a vertical roller axissupported by a pair of members carried on said first post and verticallyadjustable thereon, a second upright post to which said screen extends,said second post having a pair of members vertically adjustable thereonwhich members are adapted to retain the vertical edge of the extendedscreen, and a horizontal member telescopically adjustable in lengthadapted to be received in the upper vertically adjustable member of eachpair whereby said posts are braced by said 2,890,051 horizontal memberand whereby the vertical position of 2,996,954 said screen can beadjusted. 3,215,279

References Cited 5 718,3 14 UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,875 1,221,5644/1917 Mills 160-240 1,231,735 7/1917 Harris 13S-7.1

6/ 1959 Williams 248--469 X 8/1961 Schroder 160-24 X 11/1965 Leo211-182X FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 1965 Canada. 12/ 1907 France.

PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner

